Friday, October 19, 2012

Parkinson was right

I don’t know for certain, but I may not be posting much in the next week or two, or perhaps month or two.

It’s nothing against you, my loyal readers. It’s just that life’s responsibilities have gotten in the way of my incessant and constant need to post something on my blog.

And by “life’s responsibilities” I mean specifically both (a) the fact that between the early voting period and the actual election day I will spend seven long, full days and parts of a couple of others working for the county and (b) the fact that as the person solely responsible for music in our small church I need to plan and rehearse with people for the upcoming Advent and Christmas seasons.

Our church has not had a choir in several years. Even though it has a choir loft that can seat more than 20 singers, the current congregation as a whole is perhaps less interested in music than any group I have encountered before. Many (though not all) enjoy listening to it but few are interested in producing it. Since I arrived in the summer of 2010, we have managed to put together a small men’s ensemble and a small women’s ensemble -- it’s the ensembles that are small, not the men and women -- who have sung a couple of times during the year, although meeting for rehearsals has been like pulling teeth at times. The pastor wants both groups to sing again during December, so I need to find suitable pieces of music with the right degree of non-difficulty. There is also the children’s handbell choir to contend with be joyfully involved with once again. Some of last year’s participants have aged out into the youth department; other new children have come in who never played handbells before, and we have only a portion of the Sunday School hour in which to learn and rehearse over the next few weeks, as virtually no parent will commit to evening rehearsals during the school year. I do not want to antagonize the Sunday School teachers either. There will also be two Christmas Eve services, one at 5 p.m. and one at 11 p.m., that require music.

Did I tell you that my official title is “pianist”?

I don’t mean to whine, and it’s not that I’m overwhelmed with tasks exactly, but the responsibilities weigh heavily upon me.
I will have more than enough to do without trying to find additional time for blogging.

If you are not involved in local politics or music, you may not feel my pain. If you are involved in two or more important activities at once, you understand where I’m coming from.

As Parkinson’s Law states, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

You know what? Parkinson was right.

8 comments:

  1. You should at least be promoted to music director.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ONLINE PETITION - Please sign if you want Mr Brague-Plague to keep on blogging regularly in the run up to Christmas:-
    Michele Obama
    Mr Yorkshire Pudding
    William Clinton
    Bruce Springsteen
    Ms Olive Oil
    Prince William Duke of Cambridge
    Mr Huckleberry Hound
    The former cast of "Friends"
    Mr Barry Obama
    Professor Snowbrush
    Mr & Mrs B. Pitt..... etc.

    ReplyDelete
  3. How ironic (is that the proper word?)that just when I'm re-committed to reading your delighful prose again (and perhaps to re-vitalizing my own blog), you need to take a blogging break. I understand, of course, but I will be checking regularly just to see if you've had time to post a line or two.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Snowbrush, we have the moon. Let's not ask for the stars. (You get extra points if you know who said that, and to whom, and where.)

    Yorkie Poo, I hope your petition is prophetic in the sense that one day very soon our current president will be Mr. Barry Obama once again.

    Pat, Our synchronizers seem to be out of synch. I'm glad you came back, though.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So as I understand this now Robert, you are going to allow parkinson's Law to rule you by having ALL those other thiongs in your life expand to fill the time that INCLUDES that which you would be blogging.

    That about it, Hmmm?

    Well Merry Christmas. I may get my blog back up by the too after the obligatory World Series piece.

    BTW there is a rumor that your Chipper Jones is re-thinking retirement since they came so close before collapsing this year...others besides the Brave are interested!

    Regards until you post again!

    Reamus

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  6. I understand completely, but I fear my ongoing education will suffer, so I'll be here waiting when you complete your service to God and country! :)

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  7. what a wipeout>>><><<>yes, you>><<yp's online petiion has been signed by me just after professor frog snow bird and mr. and mrs brad pitts,.,,.BUT ALAS I DO K NOOOO IT IS HARD, to keep up blogsbut snow espcially needs you

    ReplyDelete
  8. Reamus, I think Parkinson's Law will rule whether I "allow" it or not!

    LightExpectations, we wouldn't want your education to suffer, now would we? LOL! I hadn't thought about my service being "to God and country" until you mentioned it. Takes me back to my days as a Boy Scout.

    Putz, perhaps "wipeout" is too strong a word, as I will be here from time to time, just not as often as heretofore.

    ReplyDelete

<b>Always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion</b>

We are bombarded daily by abbreviations in everyday life, abbreviations that are never explained, only assumed to be understood by everyone...